In accordance with his suggestion the boys speedily rowed ashore, the little Japanese accompanying them, and led the way to the cove where their skiff was resting on the beach.
The Japanese made a careful investigation of the injury to the skiff and then said, after he had once more laughed loudly, “I feex her.” Quickly turning he ran back to the skiff and returned to the motor-boat. Only a few minutes elapsed before once more he came back and the very implements John had sought with which to repair the boat were now in his hands.
Deftly he drove caulking into the seams and the cracks and then taking a piece of tin tacked it on the bottom of the skiff over the spot where the break had occurred. Then once more he used the caulking, driving it in all about the place where the skiff had been struck.
“He no sink now,” said the Japanese, at last standing back and with pride viewing his workmanship. “He no sink now. She just as good as new.”
Declining the offer of the boys to pay him for his labor the Japanese seated himself upon a rock and looked steadily at them.
“What for have you come here?” he inquired.
“We had bad luck last evening,” explained John. “We started from Cockburn Island in the Gadabout but we got out of our course. Then the first thing we knew our gasoline was gone and we had an accident in the shaft or the blades of the propeller. We thought that we might be able to get some help, so two of us left the boat and started ashore in our skiff. But we lost our way and that’s why we’re here and not where we want to be.”
“Where other man?” inquired the Japanese.
“What other man? Do you mean Mr. Ferdinand Button?”
“Yah. Where Mr. Button now?”